Safety cage for banks



Sept. 15, 1931.

M. H. ANDERSON SAFETY CAGE FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 3, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 lmliflmmwm 1' I V I awn/Mega.

M. H. ANDERSON SAFETY CAGE FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 1930 Sept. 15, 1931.

p 1931 M. H. ANDERSON SAFETY CAGE FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 5, 1930 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 15,- 1931. M. H. ANDERSON SAFETY .CAGE FOR BANKSFiled Jan. 3, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 15, 1931. M. H. ANDERSON1,823,580

SAFETY CAGE FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 5, 1930 s Sheets-Shet 5 Patented Sept.15, 1931 rszasse P T NT 6m MORRIS II.- ANDERSON, or DWIGHT, I LINOISSAFETY [CAGE FOR BANKS Application filedJ'anuary' S, 1930. Serial 'No.418,284;

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby a person intending toburglarize a bank may be trapped and held until the police authoritiescome to take him away.

' It is within the province ofthe disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility- Figure 1 shows in front elevation, a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention Figure 2 is a verticaltransverse section; Figure 3 1s a vertical transverse section at rightangles to Figure 2;

F igure 4 1s a horizontal transverse section on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; I

Figure 6 is a transverse horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Figure l;

Figure "i7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 lever.

vided a box-like open work, frame 1, which may be made in various wayswithout jeopardizing the utility of the invention. Parts of the frame 1which have especial functions will be alluded to particularly, The frame1 comprises vertical rods 32. Between certain of these rods there is aspace at the front of the frame (Figure 1) which forms a doorway 2. Theframe 1 embodies a base At the corners of the base 3 (Figures 7 and 4)are located supports 4, in the form of rods, which are slidablyadjustable inthe base 3, in the direction of their length. Nuts 5 arethreaded on the supports 4 and cooperate with the base 3 to hold thesupports 4 in any posi- (1s a fragmental section on the line,

is an elevation of the cashiers site to the doorway 2 in the frame 1. Acash- In carrying out the invention, there is prov tion to which theymayhave been adjusted lengthwise. Rollers 6 are mount-ed on the inner endsof the supports et and cooperate with a track 7 on the lower end of acage 8. It may now be stated that the supports 4 are adjusted lengthwisethrough the instrumentality of the nuts 5, in order thatthe rollers 6may cooperate with the track 7 and keep the cage 8 centered for rotationabout a vertical axis.

A hollow shaft 15 is secured at 39 (Figure to the upper end of the cage8. The shaft 15 turns .in a lower bearing 16 carried by a spider 17forming part of the frame 1. The shaft l5 turns, also, in an upperspidorl8 constituting part of the frame 1.; A head 19 is detachably secured tothe upper portion ofthe shaft 15 and cooperates with the upper spider 18to suspend the cage 8 for rotation about a vertical axis, the cage beingcentered, as has been explained hereinbefore, by means of the rollers 6.

The cage 8 is providedon its inside with handles 9 whereby the cage maybe rotated. The cage 8 has a doorway 10 which may be brought intoregistration with the doorway 2 of the frame 1', as shown in Figure 1 ofthe drawings. \Vh'en the cage is rotated, the

door way 10 of the cage may be brought into iers shelf 14; (Figure 2 islocated at-the window 11 in the shield 12.

Vithin the hollow shaft 15'is located an insulating tube20. The tube 20is disposed below an inverted U-shaped member 21 that forms part of theframe 1. Conductors 24 extend downwardly through the insulatingtube 20,and support a lamp 25 that is located at the lower end of the hollowshaft .15, as shown clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The top of the cage 8 is formed by a ratchet wheel 22 connected bybrackets 31 (Figure 2) with the upper end of the cage 8. The frame 1carries resilient back stop pawls 23 (Figure 4) adapted to cooperatewith the ratchet wheel 22; "A latch 26 is mounted atone end the frame 1.

L14. Retrograde rotation of the cage 8 is pre of the cage 8, by means ofthe handles 9, until on one of the rods 32 of the frame 1 (Figure 5). Onthe ratchet wheel 22 are stops 27 wherewith the latch 26 is adapted tocooperate, at its inner end, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

A vertical plunger 28' is pivoted at its lower end, as shown at 29, tothe inner end of the latch 26. The plunger 28 is mounted for verticalsliding movement in a guide frame 30 carried by the spider 17. Acompression spring 33 surrounds the plunger 28. The spring 33 has anupward thrust against the spider 17, and a downward thrust upon theplunger 28, so as to hold the latch 26 normally in the path of the stops27 on the ratchet wheel 22 that forms the top of the cage 8.

The lower end of a flexible element '34 isconnected to the plunger 28.The flexible element 34 is extended horizontally, and downwardly, overpulleys 35 journaled on The lower end of the flexible element 34 isconnected to a pedal lever 36 (Figures 2 and 8), the pedal lever beinglocated within ready'access to the cashier who stands within the bank atthe shelf 14. The pedal lever 34 is fulcrumed at 37 on a bracket securedto a base plate 40 that carries a keeper 38.

In practical operation, the pedal lever 36 is engaged beneath the keeper38, as shown in Figure 8. A pull then is put on the flexible element 34,and the flexible element 34 raises the plunger 28, the plunger 28raising the latch 26, against the action of the spring 33, so that thelatch 26 is out of the way of the stops 27 on the ratchet wheel 22 whichforms the top of the cage 8.

The cage 8, now, is free for rotation.

The person having business at the bank 5 walks through the doorways 2and 10 of Figure 1, into the'cage 8. He then rotates the cage throughthe instrumentality of the handles 9 until the doorway 10 of the cagehas moved through an arc of 180, the doorway 10 of the cage then beingin registration with the window 11 of the shield 12. IV hen the doorwayis in the position specified, the person within the cage can transacthis business with the cashier who is working at the shelf vented, due tothe. cooperation between the back stop pawls 23 and the ratchet wheel22.

After the customer of the bank has transacted his business, he continuesthe rotation the doorway 10 of thecage again arrives in registrationwith the doorway 2 of the frame 1, as shown in Figure 1, whereupon the,patron of the bank passes out through the registering doorways. 7 v

During the rotation of the cage 8, the

track 7 on the'lower edge of-the cage turns in contact with the rollers6 of Figures 7 and 6,

the hollow shaft 15 that supports the cage turning in the bearing 16 andin the up er spider 8, the head 19 of Figure 3 cooperating with theupper spider 18, to support the cage 8 for rotation. The lamp 25, ofcourse, illuminates the interior of the cage 8.

If the person within the cage 8 attempts to hold up the cashier, orconduct himself in any other way that excites suspicion, the cashierkicks the pedal lever 36 of Figure 8 free from the keeper 38. The spring33 of Figure 5 then reacts to shove down the latch 26 on top of themember 22, in the path of the stops 27 and the cage cannot be rotatedcounterclockwise in Figure 4, far enough to bring the doorway 10 of thecage into registration with the doorway 2 of the frame l,

as shown in Figure 1, and thereby let the criminal escape. The back stoppawls 23 cooperate with the ratchet wheel 22 to prevent clockwiserotation of the cage 8, and, as a consequence of all of the foregoing,the criminal remains trapped within the cage.

Although it has been stated hereinbefore that the device is to be usedin banks, it will be understood that it may be employed in largemanufacturing concerns, or anywhere else, where there is enough moneyabout to tempt a criminal to attempt a hold-up.

What is claimed is 7 In a device of the class described, a frame, avertical shaft carried by the upper part of the frame, a cylindricalcage disposed within the frame and suspended at its upper end on thelower end of the shaft, the frame and cage having openings which may bebrought into registration when the cage is rotated, a. circumferentialtrack on the lower end of the cage, supports carried by the frame andspaced circumferentially about the track, rollers carried by the innerends of the supports and cooperating with the track, the supports beinghorizontally adjustable in the direction of their length, to effect acentering of the lower end of the cage with respect to the shaft, meansforholding the supports in adjusted positions, and means for locking thecage-against rotation at the will of an operator without the cage.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.

I MORRIS H. ANDERSON.

